I am a traditionally published thriller author. My latest book No Time to Die just hit shelves this week. When I first started writing suspense fiction, though, I had very little idea what I was doing. It took a humble amount of trial and error to get in a groove and overcome basic rookie errors. Now, seven years later, I like to think I’ve figured out some tricks of the trade. I’ve also been extremely lucky to receive the support and mentorship of some of the top names in the biz, like Jack Reacher’s creator Lee Child and the late Michael Palmer. So without further ado, here are some tips for budding thriller writers that I wish I’d known from day one…

1) Structure Scenes like Mini-Novels: Each one should contain its own narrative arc, with rising action and a climactic moment that signals the end of the chapter. It’s good form to finish most chapters on a cliffhanger—especially the first one. A major dramatic question should be raised in the opening scene, and then resolved in an unexpected or unfavorable way to hurl the main character further into the conflict (and thus drag your readers into the story). Get your protagonist in trouble as soon as possible and never let her get too comfortable or too safe. As far as chapter length, I’ve found that an average of five pages (double-spaced, size 12) works well for keeping up the pace.​Read more . . .

You know it's been a while since I mentioned a writing conference and with registration coming February 9, 2016 at 12pm EST for the New England SCBWI 2016 The POWER of (RE) INVENTION conference, I thought, now's a good time to.

​Conferences are a good way to hone your skills and network with fellow writers. At this particular conference, you even have the chance to sit down with editors and agents and get your work critiqued.

So don't delay. Check out the sessions now and don't forget to register Feb 9th.Register here . . .

Empowered by Embarrassment: The Value of Adding Humor to Your Manuscript by Chuck Sambuchino

You know those times when you wish you were completely alone? Not because you wish for peace and quiet, but because you hate the fact that others witnessed what just happened to you? I’m talking about those embarrassing moments, the ones when your face burns so hot that you feel like you might just melt down into the ground – and you wouldn’t mind if you did! You know, those moments!Here’s my advice for what to do next time you have a mortifying moment: harness it. Use it to fuel your writing. Allow yourself to be empowered by embarrassment. It can add humor to your writing and boost audience appeal. Trust me, humiliation is hot. It is!

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve heard editors or agents at writers’ conferences say they were looking for humor. The fact is, humor sells because people love to laugh. And most people find it humorous when humiliation happens…as long as it happens to someone else! I can convince you of this with four letters. AFHV.Because what is America’s Funniest Home Videos other than a video catalogue of embarrassing moments — moments so awkward that all you can do is laugh? This television show has held a prime time slot almost continuously for over two decades – proof that embarrassment sells!

Most writers love to read. In fact, it's the first advice successful authors will tell you to do, read . . . read . . . read. So why not read on a discount. While the website photos below don't do it justice, I can't tell you how many YA and MG books I've found in the stores. Some I've heard of and some completely new to me. Click here to check it out yourself.

I don't know about you, but I love reading books to help me on my craft. Even after 4 years of college and years of writing experience, I am still learning new things and techniques. Armed with my highlighter, I mark up these books and take notes on what I can use for my writing. The only down side, carrying those books and highlighters around. The joy of the electronic age, is that you I don't have to anymore. Yes, e-books is one way to electronically learn, but so are podcasts.

Podcasts are great when commuting to and from work, when taking long road trips, or even when cleaning your house. So here's a list of some create podcasts to check out. If you need more, simply google writing podcasts. You'll get lists from others out there as well.

SCBWI Conversations"SCBWI brings our members engaging podcasts with leaders in the children’s book field. Sit in on these conversations to get informed and inspired!"- from Website.

Writing Excuses"Writing Excuses is a fast-paced, educational podcast for writers, by writers." - from Website.

The Writing University"The Writing University podcast offers recordings of writing events associated with the University of Iowa" - from iTunes.

The Dead Robots' Society"The Dead Robots' Society is a gathering of aspiring writers podcasting to other aspiring writers hoping to help each other along the way to the promised land of publication" - from iTunes.

Grammar Girl"The Grammar Girl podcast provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer." - from iTunes.

Some of your characters will change during the course of your story—let’s call them changers. Others—stayers--will not change significantly in personality or outlook, but their motivations may nonetheless change as the story progresses from situation to situation. Both changers and stayers can have progressive motivations.

Confused? Don’t be; it’s simpler than it may seem. Characters come in four basic types: By Nancy Kress

Characters who never change, neither in personality nor motivation. They are what they are, and they want what they want.

Characters whose basic personality remains the same; they don’t grow or change during the story. But what they want changes as the story progresses (“progressive motivation”).

Characters who change throughout the story, although their motivation does not.

Characters who change throughout the story as their motivation also progresses.

When you know the key motivation(s) behind your character and plot, you can write scenes that not only make sense to you and your readers, but also add depth to your story. Because character and plot are intertwined, we’ll refer to the above four as character/plot patterns. Let’s further explore each one.

Previously, I talk about how important snacks can be to the creative process. Especially if you a muncher like me. Well, with snacks comes drinks and Dollar Tree has a variety of drinks to choose from. Click hereto check it out yourself.

While the title of this website might be a little misleading, they have an interesting section for storytelling. With over 250 pages in this section, they cover a range of topics that writers think about and try to improve. Here's the list:

I was geared to this website while listening to a Harry Potter podcast (yes there are HP podcast. You have to check them out.). They were talking about the folk lore of the Harry Potter and mentioned a man names Vladimir Propp who analyzed many folk tales and identified common themes within them. That page can be found here. I started reading it and then went looking at the section of this website. There are some nice tips there you can take away from.

How to Destroy Your Initial Idea (& Make Your Story Better)by Guest Colomn

Pablo Picasso said, “Every act of creation is first an act of destruction.” I wasn’t there when he said it, and I have no idea what he meant. He may have been in a bad mood. But I’ve always thought the statement sounded pretty cool. It makes the creative artist seem powerful and iconoclastic, smashing with the hammer of artistic vision the statues of conformity. As writers, we do have that power, if we’re willing to use it.For our purposes, we’re going to use the quote to begin a discussion of destroying our initial idea. Sometimes the generative idea for a piece is more an avenue to richer ideas than an end in itself. At those times, we must be willing to let go of our initial premise. We have to explode the idea. In some ways, to echo Picasso, this is the first act of creation.—by Jack Heffron

There are few comments more deflating than when your readers agree that your 25-page story “really begins on page 24.” We’ve worked hard on those first 23 pages. They’re honed and crafted and have a lot of good lines in them. And now we’re supposed to believe they’re a mere prelude to the real story? Sometimes the answer is yes.

The holidays are a great time for discount shopping. Your list is big enough, that every dollar counts. Well, dollar tree has an array of holiday items you can choose from. Click here to check it out yourself.